September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and IDW and Hasbro have teamed up to raise awareness with G.I. Joe #7. Timed to coincide with promotions involving The Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families, this story entitled “A Soldier’s Heart” will focus on the struggles of combat veteran Shana “Scarlett” O’Hara as she returns to civilian life. The G.I. Joe creative team consulted with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to build a story that provided real-world information on mental health and resources available for support.

In addition to the comic, IDW and Hasbro will also host a free suicide prevention awareness virtual panel which will be  moderated by George Gustines of The New York Times. The panel features Paul Allor (writer), Michael Kelly (Hasbro VP Global Publishing), Patricia Watson (PhD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs), Duane K.L. France (U.S. Army SFC, LPC), and Tom Waltz (IDW Senior Editor, Writer, and Former U.S. Marine). Paul Allor had the following to say about the project:

 “G.I. Joe is one of the great pop culture icons of the past century, and I think everyone involved recognizes how powerful this brand can be when used to shine a light on mental health among our veteran population. I hope this panel and making the issue available for free during the month of September helps spread that message even further.”

This series was written by Paul Allor with illustrations by Chris Evenhuis, Niko Walter, and Emma Vieceli. G.I.Joe #7 will also be made available to read online for free.

IDW Publishing also announced Transformers: Escape, a five-issue miniseries starting in December (see "New 'Transformers' Comic Miniseries Coming In December").

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